Learn how to cook brats on the stove with beer and onions. This easy stovetop method shows how I pan-fry bratwurst with beer and onions for a simple, hearty dinner.
This recipe uses just a few ingredients and is a straightforward way to enjoy bratwurst at home without a grill. There are other methods, like oven or air fryer, but this beer brats recipe is my favorite for an authentic German-style meal.
If you are at it, check out how you can cook brats in the oven or air fry brats. And should you only have frozen brats, see How to Cook Frozen Sausages.
Featured comment:
Jenn B: Really good and super easy! Rave reviews from the family and was able to get dinner on the table fast. Will definitely be making these again!
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What is a Bratwurst?
The German sausage. You can buy them anywhere - from cheap supermarket versions to high-quality ones from the local butcher.
There are many types of bratwurst, depending on the region. The most common are the fine and the coarse ones. Both are tasty, but everyone has a favorite. I usually go for the coarse ones, especially when cooking them on the stovetop. For grilling, I buy both - most kids like the finer ones better.
Bratwurst is everywhere: public events, parties, Oktoberfest, fall fairs - you name it. Slowly grilled over charcoal, stuffed in a bun with mustard or ketchup, or sliced up and drenched in curry sauce, they're always a hit.
Recipe ingredients
Just 3 ingredients + a little oil, salt, and pepper. You could add a small pinch of caraway seeds to the liquid for a slightly different flavor, but it's not mandatory; I just like it.
Bratwurst: Buy good-quality, preferably coarse brats. My brats weighed about 2.7 oz/ 75 g each. A little more or less is fine. You might want to prolong the cooking time if they are much larger.
Onions: one medium sliced onion.
Beer: about 1 cup/ 250 ml. If you don't want to cook with beer (although the alcohol cooks off), you can cook the dish with chicken or beef broth instead. Or apple juice for a sweeter version.
- A lager or pils has a nice, mild flavor - not overpowering. They're cheap, easy to find anywhere, and don't usually boil over when used for cooking.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to cook brats on the stove?
Step #1: Sear the brats on medium-high heat for 3 minutes, flip with tongs, and brown the other side for another 3.
Step #2: Add the onion slices between the sausages and cook for about 2 minutes, until golden, stirring a few times.
Step #3: Flip again, pour in the beer, cover, reduce the heat, and cook on low for about 10 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
Step #4: Remove the bratwurst, season the sauce with salt and pepper, and reduce for about 2 minutes. Return the brats to the pan and turn them in the sauce.
Tips
The internal temperature should read 160°F/ 71°C. If you don't have an instant-read thermometer (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab), just cut one sausage in the middle; it's easy to see if it's cooked through.
The beer will not make a lot of sauce; its main job is to keep the brats moist, preventing them from drying or sticking to the pan. It also adds flavor. Instead of beer, you could try some apple cider, either with alcohol or without.
Recipe FAQs
I use my cast-iron skillet all the time. Another sturdy pan or a non-stick pan works as well.
No! The brats will release all their juices and their flavor, and they will be overcooked. Cooking them in the liquid will prevent them from splitting; at least, it has never happened to me, and I must have cooked what feels like millions of brats. Keep an eye on the heat; this is a good way of preventing splitting and overcooking.
What to do with leftovers?
Let the cooked brats come to room temperature and refrigerate them in an airtight container. It's very easy to reheat them in the pan. However, you should add a bit of extra beer or another liquid. Reheat them gently on the stove, covered, and stirring occasionally.
Freeze the leftovers in freezer bags for up to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge and reheat well before serving.
How to serve bratwurst?
Always with mustard. Otherwise, you can have them with bread, stuffed in a bread roll or hot dog bun, or with fries, ketchup, or mayonnaise. They also go well with German Potato Salad or any kind of potato salad, with German Noodle Salad, oven-baked Potato Wedges with Chili, and most other potato side dishes you can think of.
Make Cooked Sauerkraut or Bavarian Sauerkraut. Brats and Sauerkraut are a match made in heaven. If you have some mashed potatoes on the side, you will feel like you are in Germany.
How to Cook Brats on the Stove
Equipment
- Large cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan
Ingredients
- 10 small brats about 2.7/ 75 g oz each, Note 1
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion more or less 5.5/150 g oz
- 1 cup beer Notes 2,3
- fine sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Cut the onions: Quarter the onion and slice the quarters.1 medium onion
- Sear the brats: Heat the pan and add the oil. Sear the brats on medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, flip using tongs, and cook on the other side for another 3 minutes.1 tablespoon vegetable oil + 10 small brats
- Add the onions between the sausages and cook for about 2 minutes, until golden, stirring a few times.
- Cook brats: Flip the sausages again, add beer, cover, and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes, flipping again halfway. The internal temperature should read 160°F/ 71°C. If you don't have an instant-read thermometer, just cut one brat in the middle; it's easy to see if it's cooked through.1 cup beer
- Make the sauce: Remove the brats, add salt and pepper to taste, and reduce the sauce for about 2 minutes. Return the sausages to the pan and turn them into the sauce. Serve immediately. fine sea salt and black pepper
Notes
- Size and cooking time: If your brats are larger, that's fine. Just increase the cooking time slightly and check if they are done by cutting one in the middle.
- Beer: I use lager or pils.
- Replace beer with other liquids like apple juice, cider, chicken, beef stock, vegetable stock, or even water. Non-alcoholic beer should be fine as well.
Lex says
Directions unclear, says half cup of beer up top, then 1 cup at bottom. Drank rest of beer and didn't have any extra🤣
Smells good and tastes superb. Will try again forsure.
Adina says
Hence the good mood! Glad you liked the sausages. 😁